Suresh Raina has urged Team India to win the T20 World Cup for Virat Kohli.

Kohli will step down from T20I captaincy after the mega event and Raina thinks he deserves a befitting farewell from his teammates.

“For India, the message at the T20 World Cup is simple — do it for Virat Kohli. It will probably be his last time at this tournament as captain, so it’s very important for him to make everyone believe we can do it and for us to get behind him,” Raina wrote in a column for ICC.

“We have the players, we have the momentum — we just need to go out there and execute now.”

Having played the just-concluded IPL in the UAE, Raina thinks the India players have an edge over their rivals.

“All of our players have just played the Indian Premier League in the UAE and they have played themselves into top form with eight or nine games in this environment.

“This gives India an edge on all other teams and makes them one of the big favourites to win the T20 World Cup.”

“The conditions in UAE are very similar to what we play in India and also in Pakistan. It’s a good opportunity for the Asian teams to come and play their natural game.”

The left-handed batsman said that India’s top three in the batting will be crucial for their chances in the tournament. “For me, the key to success for India’s batting lies in the top three. Rohit Sharma is a gun player — he has a brilliant record at ICC events in the past and had a great IPL.

“We need Rohit, KL Rahul and Virat to bat through to 15 overs and lay the platform. They can set the momentum for the team by doing this.”

“There are lots of electric combinations in the middle order and obviously Rishabh Pant is going to play a key role there. Hardik Pandya is also very capable as a power hitter,” he said.